By Glen Wunderlich

Camouflage this. Camouflage that. It’s everywhere and sometimes it simply makes no sense. Who needs or wants camouflage pruning shears? At an outdoor show earlier this year, I found the perfect ratcheting pruners. The issue was, however, the color of the tool, which came in two varieties: camouflage and shocking pink. I told the salesman I didn’t want the camouflage cutters, because I’d be sure to lose them in the matching foliage of the outdoors. On the other hand, those pink ones stick out like a liberal at a Trump rally.

When it comes to firearms deer hunting, we hunters tend to go a bit overboard right down to our camouflage boots; but, there we are with our mandated orange hats. Heck, a few years ago, one of our Michigan politicians thought it would be a good idea if our portable blinds were required to display a certain amount of orange, so they could be readily seen by all. That proposal was shot down – never to be mentioned again.

The fact is that camouflage sells. And, with one month until firearms deer season begins, I wanted to “brush in” a large hub blind, which although camouflaged, did not blend in at all with its surroundings.

Some blinds are manufactured with various loops on the exterior so that branches and available foliage can be attached to the blind itself for better cover. This model had no such attachment points, so any material used would have to be self-supporting. A plan evolved to build an environmentally suitable wall of recycled conifer branches.

Fortunately, I had been removing some spruce trees that had outlived their usefulness and were actually over-shading some more desirable apple trees. Before felling the trees, I had removed the lower limbs so that I could saw the main trunks easier. Those limbs were the perfect answer to my desire to brush in the blind.

I got to work by setting two 10-foot posts into the ground at either side of the blind’s front wall. Next, lengths of sisal rope were strung high and low horizontal to the ground. The large spruce limbs were hung over the ropes and woven together and tied where necessary. A few snips with my pink pruners and I was proud as a peacock with my invention after a couple of hours of enjoyable work.

These hub blinds have become quite popular but they have one drawback when snow and ice begin falling and forming: the roof sections collapse from the weight. A simple solution is to craft a custom center pole with a small hole at the top end to fit around a protruding piece of the blind’s top hub and wedged into the ground. Simply remove the support pole when it’s time to hunt and replace it when leaving.

Not all blinds would require as much work as this one did with the installation of the posts, because in most cases the blinds can be set near trees that could serve as the support posts. Additionally, a wooden platform was installed and set onto concrete blocks in an effort to level the structure and to keep it off the wet ground.

The local deer population now has a month to get used to the blind that is now hidden in plain sight.

By Glen Wunderlich

Over the next month or so, throngs of hunters will step out of their daily routines in hopes of bagging a whitetail deer. Some will spend many hours sighting in with their chosen firearms or archery gear; some will not. Some will travel hundreds of miles or more to arrive at their hunting grounds; others hunt near home. Some will pursue only monster bucks, while others will take any legal deer – even antlerless deer. And, with the myriad methods employed, all levels of competence will be afield from expert to novice.

However, there is one term which all hunters should feel compelled to be known by and that is sportsman or woman, as the case may be. So, let’s define the word before proceeding. According to Mr. Webster a sportsman is a person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, victory without gloating, and who treats his opponents with fairness. Relative to hunting, a sportsman, it follows, is a person who can go home empty-handed and be satisfied. The sportsman, therefore, chooses only shots with a very high likelihood of his making. Adopting certain principles leads to discipline in the field, which translates into fairness to the quarry.

Nobody wants to see injured animals. Granted, it happens sometimes, but we should constantly strive to minimize bad shots. So, it behooves a sportsman to develop the single-shot mentality, knowing that some situations permit the prey to live another day. He knows there can be no wild shots and that bullet or arrow placement is the key – not firepower.

Another way of putting this into perspective is to stay within one’s personal limits. To do this, however, takes some understanding of what these limits may be. Sitting at a bench and shooting with sandbag rests at known distances will give feedback to the hunter relative to the accuracy of a gun and load. Under these ideal conditions, the shooter/hunter gains knowledge that can be translated to the field.

Once afield, though, things get complicated when a person’s fingers get cold, the wind is howling, the heart is pumping at maximum levels, because the quarry is no longer a stationary sheet of paper but a buck massive enough to grace the cover of your favorite outdoor magazine. This is when a hunter must bring himself back to reality and must decide if he will be guided by principle.

A sportsman can be content as he witnesses the outdoor world waking up or going to sleep. He is content being one with nature before the sun comes up when sounds in the dark may be mysterious. He marvels at the sight of a coyote, a wood duck or even a squirrel as they go about their daily business of survival.

At the same time he is totally prepared to take home his prize. But, if luck doesn’t go his way, he believes his patience will be rewarded another day.

If you make your goal to be satisfied with the outdoor experience that you have – no matter what the day may bring – by definition, you will have become a true sportsman.

By Glen Wunderlich

Over the past week or so, I’ve been checking treestands for safety reasons and found several of them in need of work. One ladder stand that has been attached to a live cherry tree for years had become unsafe for several reasons: Straps holding the stand to the tree had broken and the ladder was suspended a few inches off the ground.

While choosing a live tree is paramount to safety, doing so presents safety concerns that should be addressed before the season. And, since archery deer season begins October 1^st, here are a few other reminders to keep you safe.

* Choose a live, straight tree. Before the leaves begin falling in earnest, look for trees with leaves. Many standing dead ash trees are still in the woods – victims of emerald ash borers – so it behooves anyone to become acquainted with these potential dangers. In addition, make sure to look above before placing treestands or even ground blinds in the vicinity of standing dead trees or limbs prone to fall.

* Assemble your stand according to the manufacturer’s instructions and bring the instructions when you set up your stand to double-check as you go. Use a lineman’s-style belt or climbing belt—attached to the tree—during setup.

* Set up the stand with another person.

* Always inspect your stand to ensure everything is in working order. If a strap or rope is frayed, do not use the stand.

* Stay connected—always. Wear a full-body safety harness; whenever you are not touching the ground, use a lifeline. The vast majority of treestand accidents occur while climbing up or down or while installing stands. Always maintain three points of contact.

* Take advantage of YouTube videos from accredited sources such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), or Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation (TSSA). Learn the proper knots and practices thoroughly before heading afield.

* Carry a cell phone or two-way radio, and make sure someone always knows where you are.

* Never carry firearms or bows up and down trees. Always use a haul line to raise and lower all gear. Make sure your firearm is unloaded.

* Become intimately familiar with your bow or gun – especially the trigger’s safety. Keep the safety engaged until ready to shoot.

There are positive changes in the estimated number of falls that are occurring on a national level. Based on data available (2017), there has been a 28 percent decrease in the number of estimated falls requiring emergency department visits, while over the same period of time, there has been 7.1 percent increase in the number of licensed hunters nationwide.

Let’s keep the trend moving in this direction.

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